


Unfinished Business

by WritesEveryBlueMoon



Series: The Ghost AU [4]
Category: Murder Most Unladylike Series - Robin Stevens
Genre: Afterlife, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bittersweet Ending, Character Death, Character Study, Five Stages of Grief, Ghosts, Grief/Mourning, Memories, Moving On, Multi, Pining, Regret, Sort Of, Swearing, Trauma, but why would you want to?, it's shippy but could be platonic if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-11
Updated: 2020-04-11
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:20:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23532217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritesEveryBlueMoon/pseuds/WritesEveryBlueMoon
Summary: One moment, Verity had her whole life ahead of her. The next, she had nothing but tarnished memories. Death is always a journey, no exception when it's your own.
Relationships: Verity Abraham & Hazel Wong, Verity Abraham & Henrietta Trilling, Verity Abraham/Henrietta Trilling
Series: The Ghost AU [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1677988
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	Unfinished Business

**Author's Note:**

  * For [clickingkeyboards](https://archiveofourown.org/users/clickingkeyboards/gifts), [Give_Me_A_Karking_KitKat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Give_Me_A_Karking_KitKat/gifts).



> Written for the Ghost AU

Many people over the years compared life to that of a story, with each individual playing the role of protagonist. Verity Abraham was not sure she believed this. After all, the education, job, husband, and children she was pretty much bound for in the future hardly seemed like an adventure one would want to read. It was hard for her to know of course, she was only seventeen. She was dragging through the backstory of the person she’d be someday, only a shadow of her future self.

The thing was, Verity Abraham never had a future self, and it was most unfair really. Nobody lives assuming they will die before their life has gotten past the introduction.

DENIAL

It all happened so fast. Verity could barely comprehend what had happened until she was falling, and then there was a horrible burst of pain.

Just like that, she wasn't anything anymore.

Death wasn't like she'd expected it to be. Not that she'd really _expected_ anything, if she was being honest. Still, long ponderings in the middle of the night and philosophical debates with Henry had led her to the assumption that there would be _Someplace_ she would find herself when her final moments ticked by, a long time in the future.

But all that happened was this strange sort of disconnect from her body, and all was over.

It just wasn’t right. How could she be _dead_? It was simply ridiculous. She was fine. She had to be. She couldn’t die before University. Before she had the chance for any real romance. Before saying goodbye to her parents. Before she could give Henry one last hug.

It could not be over before she could say goodbye to _Henry_.

She tried to shake her head, snap herself out of it, but struggled to focus, mainly due to the fact that she had no existence in the world of the living.

This was a difficult and painful concept to grasp.

“No, no, no!” she pushed through, trying to get _back_. Back to the balcony, where she would wake up and give Miss Griffin some choice, most unladylike words for scaring her so. Then she would get down and go back to House, like every other normal Deepdean girl would. It was all going to be fine, Verity Abraham was a normal student, who studied, and watched hockey, and cared so dearly about her best friend. That’s all she was _supposed_ to be.

It was all going to be _fine_ , she’d get back to Henry and everything would be okay again.

However, even once Verity managed to vaguely focus her spirit, she could not return. Every attempt proved futile.

It wasn’t right. Seventeen year olds weren’t meant to die. They weren’t meant to be murdered by their birth mothers. It simply wasn’t at all fair.

Verity Abraham collapsed near her body, in all it’s grotesque glory, and let out a long, pained, agonising scream.

How could everything she’d ever wanted, worked for, or merely _dreamed about_ become nothing but other people’s memories so quickly?

\- ANGER -

Verity couldn't keep track of what time elapsed after that point. She was so angry, so furious, with all that she'd lost, all that this supposed mother had taken from her, that the days and weeks melded together.

It was not right. How could this woman - this woman who was her mother in name if nothing else - have killed her in such a way?

She was seventeen. She'd had so many things she'd intended to do, so much she wanted to see, so many people she'd wanted to meet, and now she had _nothing_.

Miss Griffin roamed the school as she always had, free from the consequences of her sins. How could a murderer just walk free? How could everyone just accept that Verity would kill herself?

It wasn't right. It wasn't fair that she never got to tell her parents - her _real_ parents - how she lived them. It wasn't fair that she'd never see Carlton, their ancient butler, ever again. It wasn't fair that she never got to say goodbye to Henry.

Oh Henry.

She missed her so much. How was it right? How could it be that she died - that she was _killed_ \- before she got to tell her just how much she loved her?

All while her murderer walked freely among her friends and peers.

It wasn't fair.

\- BARGAINING -

There are some people who say they are willing to give anything for things.

Oh they would give _anything_ for that fine hat. Oh they would give _anything_ for those diamond earrings. Oh, _anything_ for the attention of that handsome boy.

Then there are those who mean it. Those who would give _anything_ to save their child. Those who would give _anything_ to get to safety. Those who would give anything for a normal life.

Verity had never been one for phrases alike to the former, but all the same she felt exceptionally useless as she begged.

She missed her home so desperately. She missed her family. She missed her friends. She missed _Deepdean_.

Verity Abraham would give _anything_ for her life back, but unfortunately, she had nothing to give.

Deepdean was changing, slowly but surely. It had been but a year, and already the Big Girls were leaving, new shrimps were arriving, Chinese girls coming. It was good, it was a fascinating new Deepdean, and it was one she desperately wanted to be a part of.

Most painful of all was seeing Henry go on, broken by her loss as equally as Verity. Oh she'd loved her. How could Verity have not realised she loved her in return?

She tried to not focus on Miss Griffin; the anger had long subsided into pain, and Verity couldn't see what would make any of it worthwhile.

Verity Abraham used to have so much. Books, grades, athleticism, pets, friends, family, people who loved her.

People she'd loved.

Why did it take death for her to see everything that had made her life so good?

She missed it all so so much.

Verity would give _anything_.

\- DEPRESSION -

There was nothing. Verity had nothing but death and the fragments of the dreams she'd once had.

Verity had lost everything, and she had no way of getting it back.

Miss Griffin killed again. It hurt, but it was no surprise. There was only so far a person could go in disguise without getting caught.

First was Miss Bell. The science mistress. An overambitious idiot. Verity felt sorry for her, but she should have known better. Who would meet a murderer alone on a balcony?

Well, Verity had. But she hadn't been a murderer then. And Verity had still had a life. A future.

Funny how things change.

The next is Hazel Wong. It's not right, and Verity feels such pain, and anger. Once she'd have even felt vengeance, but that's all long faded.

Miss Griffin was a monster, that she'd known, but killing a thirteen year old? A girl who was barely older than a shrimp? Verity couldn't understand.

She had a chance to speak to the girl, for a few moments.

"Where am I?!" the girl had asked her, frantic, frightened, and confused, "What's happened?"

Verity merely gazed at her, for a moment, before saying, "I'm sorry."

What else could be said?

The girl moves through things faster than Verity, and by the time they next talk, she's already reached Bargaining.

"There must be some way!" she pleads, "some connection. We can't have nothing."

"I'm sorry," Verity responds, again and again and again.

"As long as you have something left unfinished, you shall remain here."

The final is Miss Tennyson, which is more of a dull ache than a stabbing betrayal. She had been a favourite teacher of Verity's, back in life.

She moves straight on, and though Verity wishes they could have had one last conversation, she secretly is glad.

But it's not enough for Her. It will never be enough. As long as there's a chance, a possibility, she cannot leave it be.

Hazel finds a way to communicate with her friends, and though she feels a stab of envy, Verity is glad for her.

Miss Griffin wants Henry next, and that _hurts_. It's wrong, and Verity will not allow it. This woman has stolen everything from her, she can't let her take it all from her best friend too.

The girls, Hazel and her friends, they gather evidence. Talk to a police inspector. There's amusement, then shock, then disbelief in his expression.

They have the proof. It's over.

\- ACCEPTANCE -

Miss Griffin has been arrested, and will stand trial for her crimes. Verity is glad, though it takes a moment to recognise the feeling, it's been so long since she had it. It's a strange thought, the two of them, living in the same realm.

Verity does not much like it.

Then, she's talking with Hazel, who has a suggestion.

"We connected through this seance," she explains, "and we could connect you too."

Verity feels an odd emotion, like a balloon rising in her chest, making her feel… Good. Like there's _something_.

"You mean…" she says slowly, cautiously, and Hazel nods.

A strange contraption, some funny words, and…

"Verity!!"

Henry runs at her, throws her arms around her, and Verity… She can _feel_ them. She holds Henry in return, and for a moment it's like old times, with the girl she loves.

"I've missed you so much," Henry sobs into her hair, "I'm so sorry."

" _No._ " Verity declares, with all the passion of a life she no longer has, "It's not, and never will be your fault, okay Henry?"

They lean back, and look at each other, an understanding shared.

Henry smiles sadly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind Verity's ear, "I'm going to miss you."

"And I you," she responds, and means it, like she hasn't meant anything in a long time.

"I wish we'd had more time."

"As do I," with every word, Verity is realising. Realising that she's ready.

"I love you." Henry says, tearfully, but also smiling weakly.

Verity gazes at her friend as she feels the balloon in her chest rise - the _hope_ \- and feels herself moving onward.

"I love you too."

And it's all alright, because Verity Abraham lost everything.

But for one moment, she had it all back.

That was all she needed.


End file.
